This page was exported from Larry's Albuquerque Food Musings [ http://www.abqtopten.com/blog ] Export date:Tue Sep 28 16:43:12 2021 / +0000 GMT ___________________________________________________ Title: The Top Ten --------------------------------------------------- Introduction Last updated: March 26, 2019 I am often asked "What is the best restaurant in Albuquerque?" This question  has no definitive answer. Best what? New Mexican? Fine dining? Greek? Seafood? Best according to whom? You get the idea. Moreover, I will never give a restaurant a numerical rating. Too subjective. This, then, is a list of my top ten favorite restaurants in the Albuquerque area. I think that they are among the best that Albuquerque has to offer. These are the places that you are likely to find me eating my favorite dishes   This list represents just my opinion, and therefore not subject to argument. It is difficult to choose just ten, and many great places do not make the list. For example, anything by Denis Apodaca is among my favorites, but they don't make the list. The new Sophia's Place comes really close. Antoinette & Mary with their James Beard Award medals Mary & Tito's isnumber 1 because it is my favorite restaurant in New Mexico. If you look at the Zomato (ugh) Albuquerque page, you will notice that Frontier is ranked number 1, reflecting its huge following. I like it a lot, but it doesn't have a snowball's chance of cracking my list. Does being Urbanspoon's number 1 make it better than, say, Jennifer James Frenchish? In a pig's eye. Oh yeah, I almost forgot: Don't trust the reader's polls published annually by The Weekly Alibi , Local-iQ, and Albuquerque The Magazine (ATM). The source of the data does not seem to be trustworthy. Are there other lists that you might take note of? Sure. I maintain a small number of such specialty lists on Yelp. All of the places on my list are great, and many gastronome and foodie friends agree with me to some extent. Don't bother to tell me that El Pinto and Sadie's are great. They are not; they are tourist places and for this trade, deservedly popular. I live here and I eat here and I know better. So should you. Mary & Tito's Cafe Joe's Pasta House  Campos at Los Poblanos  M'Tucci's Italian Market and Pizzeria,  M'Tucci's Italian, and M'Tucci's Moderno    (Yeah, all three!) Budai Gourmet Chinese   Namaste High  Point Grill Poki Poblano Fusion Lounge   (Sadly, Cosed) Seasons Rotisserie & Grill Pad Thai Cafe  Honorable Mention Were I to write an ABQ Honorable Mention List, it would contain such favorites as (in alphabetical order): Acre, The (Vegetarian Comfort Food), Alquds Mediterranean Grill & Grocery (Middle Eastern), An Hy Quan (Vietnamese Vegetarian), Ariraga Oriental Market (Korean), Blade's Bistro, Cafe Bella Coffee, El Bruno's Restaurante y Cantina, El Patio de Albuquerque (2nd favorite New Mexican), Farina Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Farm and Table, Fresh Bistro, Guava Tree Cafe, Indigo Crow Cafe, May Cafe Mogu Mogu, Monk's Corner Taproom/Maya Cuisine, Monte Carlo Steak House, Nexus Brewery, Perea's Tijuana Bar, Pho Bar, Pho Garden (not reviewed yet but a Dazzler fave) Sharky's/California Oyster Bar Mexican Seafood), Siam Cafe St Clair Winery & Bistro, Thai Tip, Turtle Mountain Brewing Co. , and Two Fools Tavern, all of which I have reviewed in various places. Most are also reviewed here on this blog.  New Mexico Top Ten Were I to list my Top Ten from outside the Albuquerque area, it would contain (in order): Sparky's Burgers & BBQ (Hatch), Plaza Cafe Downtown (Santa Fe), Lambert's Restaurant and Bar (Taos), Cowgirl BBQ (Santa Fe Railyards), ACEQ (Arroyo Seco), Rancho de Chimayó Restauranté (Chimayó), Owl Bar & Cafe (San Antonio), Pink Adobe (Santa Fe), The Artesian Restaurant (Ojo Caliente), and Cafe Pasqual's (Santa Fe). The No Scum Allowed Saloon would surely make the list if they served food. BTW, I refuse to contribute reviews and comments to Zomato. They are a bunch of pinheads. Most serious ABQ foodies have also abandoned them, too. --------------------------------------------------- Images: http://www.abqtopten.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/mary_gonzales_antoinette_knight6.jpg --------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Post date: 2019-03-25 00:38:22 Post date GMT: 2019-03-25 07:38:22 Post modified date: 2020-03-03 11:39:55 Post modified date GMT: 2020-03-03 18:39:55 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Export of Post and Page as text file has been powered by [ Universal Post Manager ] plugin from www.gconverters.com